Wordless Wednesday

unKIND Kiddie Propaganda

Has your child come home with PETA propoganda?  Many grade school children in Nebraska have and one school district is putting a stop to it. 

The following was published on HumaneWatch. 

There's nothing new about animal rights groups targeting children. PETA constantly hands out gory comic books to kids titled “Your Mommy Kills Animals.” (And that's just for starters.) HSUS, with more of a soft-sell marketing style, puts out a little newsletter once each month during the school year called KIND News. This turns up in classrooms all across the country.


By my estimation, KIND News is a more insidious publication than anything PETA produces. PETA’s “comic books” don’t pass any parental smell-test, but HSUS's version of kiddie propaganda is cleverly set up to seem perfectly innocuous.

Last month's edition is a great example. The "Jr. Edition" of KIND News for April (distributed to third- and fourth-grade students) includes an article trashing livestock agriculture, in which HSUS tells its young readers to write to their Congressman, the USDA, and the EPA.

In other words, HSUS is recruiting unwitting kids to lobby for them, without parental consent or notice.

One school district in Nebraska has e-mailed its teachers, asking them to halt distribution of this HSUS publication. It's about time.

Here’s what the Director of Curriculum at Lincoln (NE) Public Schools wrote:

It has been brought to my attention that you may have teachers who are sending home a newsletter called "KIND News" published by The Humane Society of the United States. I believe that teachers may have received a sample of the newsletter and signed up to receive them to send home with their students.

The Humane Society of the United States is an animal protection organization that is a political lobbying organization. The stances that they take can be controversial and our Controversial Policy would apply if teachers are sending these home with students. The other side of the issue would need to be presented.

I can see how something that advocates for being kind to animals might not seem controversial. However, the latest edition on farms being factories is controversial and students are encouraged to write to lawmakers and government agencies. When newsletters are sent home from organizations it appears that the Lincoln Public Schools is endorsing these organizations and we cannot do that.

If teachers are teaching these issues and both sides are presented then there is a difference. If they are just sent home, then I would ask that you make teachers aware that this is a practice that should be stopped.

I’m glad there's at least one school administrator out there who knows what's what. But who knows how far the reach of “KIND News” is. If you see your kids bring it home one day, a couple of phone calls might be in order.

Interesting side note: You may remember that a few years ago, two PETA employees were arrested in North Carolina for killing puppies and kittens and tossing their bodies in a North Carolina trash dumpster. Guess what showed up in the police evidence photo of the mobile death van? Yep.

I know that this blog isn't about PETA, but you just can't make this stuff up.

Maybe the KINDness didn’t quite rub off the right way. Or perhaps in the animal rights world, it's KIND to snuff out adoptable pets.

Do you suppose HSUS counts all the children who read KIND News among its supposed “11 million” members and constituents? I wonder.

Uncle Buck

Doesn't everyone wish they had an Uncle Buck?  Monkey and Peanut really do have one, and boy do they love him! 

Remember the scene in the movie Uncle Buck (oh geeze, I'm really dating myself here) where he is giving his niece's boyfriend, Bug, a hard time about burying the hatchet? 

Buck says, "I like to carry it, you never know when you're going to need it. A situation may come up, say for example, someone has been drinking, and about to drive a loved one home, then I'd like to know I have it. Not to kill, no. Just to maim. Take a little off the shoulder. Swish! The elbow. Slash! Shave a little meat off the old kneecap. Fowap! Ooooo! You got both kneecaps? I like to keep mine razor sharp. Sharp enough you can shave with it. Why I've been known to circumcise a gnat. You're not a gnat are you, Bug? Wait a minute, bug, gnat. Is there a little similarity? Whoa, I think there is! Ha ha ha. You understand what I'm talking about? I don't think you do. I'll be right back. Heh heh heh heh."

I love that quote and I'm pretty sure this Uncle Buck would do the same for his nieces. 

The Pink Ladies

Remember these shoes that I just had to buy for Monkey?  Her aunt Bonnie loved them so much she had to get something similar for Rosie... so now she has a matching collar!

You've Got a Friend in Me

We spent some time over the weekend at a family friend's lake house (that was where I snapped this photo).  The weather was gorgeous and Monkey had a wonderful time hanging out with her little buddies.

All of our friends have boys, so we can't help but wonder which one will end up being Monkey's boyfriend when they are older.  I'm thinking this little guy already has his eye on her and is making his move before the other boys get a chance!

Wordless Wednesday

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Ode to Pop

Since yesterday was Father's Day, I thought I would write a post today on all the things my father has taught me over the years.  I then realized that's not really possible.  There are just too many to cover.  So here is the Top 10 11 list of things that I am grateful for. 

1. Teaching me right from wrong.
2. Your patience.  Especially at times when I'm sure you wanted to yell at the top of your lungs (like when I backed your truck into a fence post... whoopsie!).
3. Teaching me how to dance.

4. Demonstrating a strong work ethic and instilling that in me.

5. Showing us that there is more to life than video games and TV.  The outdoors has so much more to offer!

6. Raising me with the knowledge that I could do anything I wanted to do as long as I worked at it.  I remember times I didn't want to get up at the crack of dawn to work cattle or detassle, but it was all worth it.  I wouldn't trade being a farmer's daughter for anything.

7. Being an amazing grandfather.

8. For exaggerating whenever you tell people about me, even if it is totally embarrassing.

9. For not spoiling your children rotten and knowing when to tell us "heck no!"

10. For having the goofiest sense of humor that I've ever known, and showing me how to laugh at myself and at life.

11. For making every bowl of ice cream a work to be admired.

Thanks for being the greatest dad in the world, I love you!

Calendar Girl

I think I may have mentioned before that my sister-in-law, Shelly, has been battling breast cancer this past year.  I'm so happy to say that she is done with chemo and has recovered from her double mastectomy and is doing great! 

And after chemo, she is now a blonde!  

I am so proud to say that she is going to be one of the calendar girls in the Beyond Boobs Inc 2011 Calendar To Live By!  Proceeds help support the breast cancer support group that she is a part of.

You may not recognize her since she is wearing a wig in her pre-cancer natural shade of red, but I hope everyone will support her and buy a calendar.  Use it to educate on breast cancer awareness and as a reminder to feel your tatas, or for you men out there, feel someone else's!

Grilled Pizza

As you know, the hubby and I got ourselves a new grill for our anniversary.  We've been addicted to it ever since.  We've probably cooked 90% of our meals on the grill since bringing the bad boy home.  It's not like we didn't have a grill before, we did.  And we liked cooking on it.  But this new one is gas and the old was charcoal.  And sometimes after getting home from a hard day's work, we just didn't have time to wait for the charcoal to get ready.  Now we don't have to wait and I love it.

We grilled homemade pizzas the other day and I don't think I've ever made a pizza more delicious.  I believe we will be doing it again, and very soon.  Father's Day is this weekend, wouldn't a family "build your own pizza" cookout be fun?!

What You'll Need: 

• Pizza crust, divided into small sections for individual servings
• Olive oil
• Sauce
• Cheese
• Pizza toppings (we used sausage, pepperoni, red onion, and canadian bacon this time around)

What You Do:

Preheat grill.

Shape the dough into rounds, either stretching it by hand or using a rolling pin.

When the grill is hot, have all of your toppings in an assembly line nearby.

Begin by coating one dough round with olive oil and placing it oil side down on the grill.  Drizzle the top with oil now.

After two to three minutes the crust should be set.  If not, give it another minute or so.  When the crust is set, remove it from the heat and transfer it to a plate, flip it over so the cooked side is up, and add the toppings.

Repeat the process with the rest of the dough rounds.

Grill the topped pizzas until the crust is set and the cheese is melted.

Wordless Wednesday - Bikini Season

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Bookworm

Like a lot of kids, Monkey has a nightly bedtime ritual.  We eat supper, bathe, and play for a while.  When it's almost bedtime we then go into her room and sit in the rocking chair where she snuggles up with her blankie and pacifier and we read a book or two.  

Recently, she's been letting me know when it's time for bed.  She'll toddle off into her room and come back out with her blankie, pacifier, and a book! 

She also likes to sit in her chair and 'read' all by herself during the day.  She's already got the worm like her Mama... bookworm that is.

Snow Peas with Pasta

I came about this recipe because my mom's garden has an abundance of snow peas right now and I had leftover spaghetti noodles in the fridge.  I love both so figured why not put them together?!  I made this last night and served with grilled chicken that I had marinated in Italian dressing and then topped with pepperjack cheese.  It was a very delicious meal!

What You'll Need:

Pasta (a good amount, sorry I didn't measure)
Snow peas (a good amount)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons EVOO
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp lemon juice
Heaping palmful of parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

What You Do:

Reheat pasta, or prepare according to directions. 
Blanche snow peas for 2 minutes.
Throw pasta together with remaining ingredients and add snow peas.  Serve!

Fruit on the Barbie

Do you remember what you were doing four years ago today?  I do, very vividly in fact.

I was busy getting hitched to my best friend.

These past four years have gone by really fast and if I had to do it over again, I certainly would!  

We don't always exchange gifts for our anniversary.  I do try to at least do something small to acknowledge the day.  The traditional gift to give for the fourth year of marriage is fruit or flowers.  That just doesn't seem like much fun and not something that will come in that handy.  So instead, this is what we got!

I figure we can always grill some fruit on it if we really want to be sticklers for tradition.

Happy anniversary, babe!

Wordless Wednesday

Remember this corn field from two months ago?  Well, check it out now!

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The Princess and the Toad

Monkey discovered her first toad!  She wasn't too sure about it at first, but decided it wasn't too bad after all. 

 

Goin to the Chapel

We had a very eventful and fun weekend.  The most exciting part was that our great Oklahoma friends, Scott and Annie, got hitched! 

The weather was a little dicey at first, but it ended up being a gorgeous day.  And of course Annie looked amazing!  Monkey was a flower girl and had such a great time running around with the other kids playing in the yard.  

While I had my camera with me, I barely snapped any pictures.  My favorite of the day, by far, was this one:

Congratulations Scott & Annie, I hope you enjoy your honeymoon in Hawaii!

Hijacking Horror Monuments

You remember the "Amityville Horror" story, right? 

The one that was made into a famous book as well as a series of movies about paranormal activity in a house where Ronald DeFeo, Jr. had shot and killed six members of his family in November 1974.  The next family that occupied the house claimed to have encountered many supernatural events that forced them to move. It was those events that made the house become one of America’s most recognizable haunted houses and has attracted many tourists over the years.

It's now up for rent.

And guess who is interested?  Apparantely, PETA has some grand plans for this famous house.  They sent a letter to the Long Island home owner asking that it be allowed to rent and use it for an exhibit showcasing animal abuse.  They want to turn a real "haunted house" into a "slaughter house" theme park in yet another of their radical PR stunts.

In the letter by PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman, the group states:

"The supernatural haunting that some people believe occurred in this building is legendary, but many people don’t realize that if they are eating meat, eggs and dairy products, they are getting their food from real-life horror houses.”

I guess houses like the one I grew up in and the one where my husband grew up, as well as many other farmers and consumers are actually horror houses.  It's a wonder we haven't all grown up to be mass murderers ourselves, isn't it?

Ride 'Em

It was my niece's birthday over the weekend and Monkey made up for some lost puppy time at her party.  She was so happy to see Rosalita, who is just her size.

Ever since she's figured out how to rock her cow, she's tried it out on other things as well... namely my parent's dog, Hailey! 

Hailey was a very good sport about it all.

I wasn't able to get any pictures of the birthday girl; she was having too much fun running around with her friends to worry about posing for the camera.  Happy 4th birthday, Peanut! 

Violent armed robber fatally shot by his armed victim

I think this article is worth sharing.  Read it and think about your rights as a citizen.  Armed self defense DOES work. 

Violent Armed Robber Fatally Shot By His Armed Victim

An armed robber was reportedly shot in self defense by his armed victim in Hazelwood, MO.

Police say that the a 57 year old man was out for evening walk in the St. Louis suburb of Hazelwood when an armed robber approached from behind, pointed a .38 caliber revolver at the man, and demanded his wallet. The man reportedly handed over his wallet, then drew his own .40 caliber pistol and ordered the robber to get on the ground until the police could arrive. Rather than comply, the robber began to point his gun at the victim, at which point the victim fired in self defense. A suspect, reportedly identified as 20 year old Christopher Holland, was found dead across the street, with a revolver in his hand, police say. Police also suspect that Holland may have behind another armed robbery attempt, which occurred last week.

Those opposed to gun ownership for self defense often argue that a crime victim who is caught unawares will be unable to get their gun and defend themselves. As this case shows, such theoretical arguments don’t necessarily reflect reality. Here, the robbery victim was able to draw his gun and fire in self defense, despite the fact that the robber had the element of surprise.

Nor is this an isolated case of self defense success. Many crime victims are able to defend themselves against criminals who seemingly have the upper hand, as some recent examples demonstrate: This homeowner managed to get and fire his self defense gun, despite being attacked at his front door and shot by a violent intruder. This man managed to shoot 2 armed robbers in self defense, despite being choked by the robbers and held at gunpoint in his own home. This homeowner managed to get his gun from a drawer, despite the fact that a criminal held a knife to him. This elderly man managed to grab a self defense gun, despite being shocked with a stun gun and beaten by a 24 year old man. This man managed to draw his concealed carry handgun and shoot an armed robber in self defense, despite the fact that that robber was standing behind him and pointing a shotgun at his back. This jewelry store owner managed to grab his gun from under a desk, despite the fact that two robbers were in his store, one of whom had a gun pointed at him. This pawnshop manager managed to shoot an armed in self defense, saving himself and his teenage employee, despite the fact that a gun was being held to that employee’s throat. I could go on with many more examples, but the point should be clear – armed self defense works.